I´m planning to buy a new S40 (the new model I mean). But I want to know if
you have some experience with it and if they are bad or good. Because it´s a
brand new model I wait a while so the child diseases have disappeared (I
hope) and if there any.
Always happy to be the voice of dissent, here's my opinion on the new S40:
it blows.
I test drove a new style S40 T5, w/ the big tires (17" P7s I think), and
the geartronic transmission.
It's FWD, which I never thought would matter much, but with a full
compliment of people I was unable to accelerate briskly from a stop
without causing a significant amount of wheelspin and eventually
triggering the twitchy traction control BS. I guess the extra weight
towards the rear really hurt traction. This rules the car out for any
cargo or people carrying IMO.
The geartronic transmission is *complete* garbage. I have yet to find a
less responsive transmission (including Ford's garbage AXOD). Downshifts
took between 2-5 seconds (either with my right foot or from flicking the
shift thingy).
Rear visibility and rear headroom were at best non existent. Even a Civic
provides better room.
For the money, my vote would be any of the competition.
When Toyota puts out its supercharger for the latest V6s, I'd grab a new
Camry V6 and buy all the TRD bits (SC, suspension, etc) you can get your
mitts on. You'll still save a few thousand over a S40 T5 and have a
roomier, faster car on your hands. If you went with a 99 Camry, the
warranted output from the supercharger results in about 275-300hp. You
can go well over that with the appropriate pulley. The 99 Camry was
available with a manual transmission (so far the US spec S40 is not, AFAIK).
Or you could go for the Acura TSX (a.k.a. Honda Accord). 200hp, sat nav,
6spd manual, and still a few thousand less than an S40 T5. Honda quality
trumps Volvo any day.
